Matt Mikulla of Art Rogue - Save $15 Until 4/4

Matt Mikulla, a talented Nashville artist that specializes in what he calls "Ridiculously affordable artwork", offers his creative photography at his gallery, Art Rogue, in downtown Nashville as well as online for the rest of us.

Art Rogue is currently running a not-to-miss sale, but it ends tomorrow (4/4) so, not to sound like a used car salesman, act now while prices are low! All medium (8.5" x 11") prints and photographs are going for $25 vs. the usual $40 price tag - so if you see something you like, jump on it! Each print is made using Epson UltraChrome pigment inks on enhanced matte paper and will arrive in an archival sleeve with acid-free backing, and Matt signs all prints, which is huge incentive to buy because a signed print means so much more for when Matt becomes famous someday! :)

It's funny, I'm usually not attracted to most 'creative' photography I see. I'm drawn in to liking all those more stylized shots of interiors, fashion, and still life of mundane objects - like a chair or a strawberry in a bowl. But the ladies you see above from Matt's plastic series, they grab me.

Maybe they remind me of Mannequin, one of my favorite 80's films with Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall (Yes, Samantha from Sex In The City, she's been around forever!). I always loved that story because I was very imaginative as a child and nothing could convince me that everything didn't come to life at night. Dolls, Hello Kitty, toys, mannequins, plastic people on wedding cakes, everything had a 'real life' when the humans weren't around. Even the fruit bowl on our counter was throwing a nightly Mardi Gras with the Chiquita Banana girl (Commercials like these didn't help any, either).

So when I saw Mannequin, I took the whole film very seriously, and even though that was 20 years ago, I still recall how validated I felt when I saw it, it was confirmation that department store window displays were so much more than the plastic ladies we saw modeling shiny raincoats and black patent leather pumps. Of course, I was entering my teens and knew better, but my imagination enjoyed such far-fetched thoughts.

As we grow into adults, and from there refine and define ourselves, it's so interesting to see what we naturally are attracted to. I'm seeing definite patterns in myself, my natural leanings, because I'm exposed to more art and design on a daily basis than ever before in my life. I'm constantly seeing a strong tie between where I stand today, and where I stood as a child -- So much of what I liked then has influenced what I like today. It's a fascinating subject you could explore and discuss with your friends for hours. Have you given it much thought, and if so, what connections are you making to the design and art world today with what you were exposed to as a child?